Can the Baggies carry on their recent win over Sheffield United to get over their away day woes against play-off hopefuls Hull City at the MKM Stadium.
The final game before Christmas as the Baggies travel to Hull City hoping to get a result that could end their 7 game losing run on the road. Hull City are in form in the league and are 6th in the Championship and have won their last 2 games and however did lose to Middlesbrough 4-1 a few weeks back.
A 2-0 win over Sheffield United last Friday has got us hoping for this fixture but with us being away from home, I am expecting us to not get anything out of this game.
Player To Watch – Hull City
The player to watch for me is Kyle Joseph, Hull City’s leading goalscorer this season and a forward who is clearly hitting form at the right time. He comes into this fixture in excellent momentum, having scored three goals in his last two matches — opening the scoring against Wrexham before following that up with an impressive brace against Millwall. That recent run highlights not only his confidence in front of goal but also his ability to punish defensive lapses.
Heading into Saturday’s clash with the Baggies, Joseph stands out as Hull’s main attacking threat and the opposition player most likely to cause problems. His movement in the box and sharp finishing mean our defenders will be fully aware of the danger he poses, especially given his recent performances. With Albion having shown a tendency to concede late away from home, Joseph’s presence could be particularly significant as the game wears on. If Hull are still pushing in the latter stages, it would be no surprise to see him get on the scoresheet and have a decisive impact on the afternoon.
Player To Watch – West Brom
Nat Phillips is the player to watch for Hull City because of the key role he plays at the heart of Albion’s defence and the way his attributes match up against Hull’s main attacking threats.
Phillips brings experience, physicality, and leadership, which will be crucial against a Hull side that looks to play direct at times and feed balls into forwards like Kyle Joseph. His aerial dominance makes him especially important when dealing with crosses, set pieces, and long balls — areas where Hull often try to apply pressure. If West Brom are forced to defend deep for spells, Phillips’ positioning and ability to read danger will be vital in keeping Hull at bay.
Another reason Phillips stands out is his influence in high-pressure moments. With Albion having conceded late goals away from home, having a commanding centre-back who stays switched on for the full 90 minutes could be decisive. His organisation of the back line, willingness to put his body on the line, and no-nonsense approach to defending give West Brom a sense of stability, particularly in tight matches.
If Phillips can dominate his duels, win first contacts, and limit Hull’s forwards to half-chances, he could be the difference between Albion keeping a clean sheet and being punished — making him a standout player to watch in this fixture.
My Line Up V Hull City
Line up over Hull City, Wildsmith would come into goal, in the back I have Nat Phillips and Chris Mepham and wing backs George Campbell and Callum Styles would retain their place in the line-up.
In midfield Alex Mowatt and Jayson Molumby come in with Mikey Johnston and Oliver Bostock would have his debut and would be in attacking wings and Aune Heggebo and Karlan Grant would come into a front two.
Prediction V Hull City
Prediction over Hull City and last time I predicted a 2-1 defeat to Sheffield United and I was incorrect, the Baggies turned up on the night and secured a 2-0 win with Aune Heggebo carrying on his goalscoring record and Karlan Grant secured all three points for the Baggies.
In this one I am expecting a difficult game as we could be going to the 8th away game successively with another defeat we all don’t want.
I say in the first 15 minutes both sides would be going for it, with Hull City being the most dominant with Kyle Joseph trying with a header that reaches off target. Around the 40th minute with 5 minutes before half-time the Baggies would take the lead with Alex Mowatt’s pass reaches Oliver Bostock would try and attempt but crosses into Aune Heggebo to score his 9th goal of the season.
In the second half, Hull City would get another goal back and put them in the game with a corner from Mohamed Belloumi would reach for Semi Ajayi to be another opposition player to score against us to put Hull back to 1-1. Around the 65th minute mark Hull would go ahead with Matt Crooks laying it onto Kyle Joseph to put the scores at 2-1.
The Baggies would try and get back into the game with a equaliser and near the end of the game Isaac Price a late substitute would score from 22 yards out to give us a point on the road and a 2-2 draw to start a Christmas run-in.
Prediction: Hull City 2-2 West Brom
Goalscorers for Hull City: Semi Ajayi, Kyle Joseph
Goalscorers for West Brom: Aune Heggebo, Isaac Price
A 2-2 draw I’m going for in Hull, with our away form being poor of late or for the last few seasons I expect this to be another difficult afternoon for the Baggies. With our 2-0 win over Sheffield United last Friday it would bring the team confidence into this one and us being in the lead in the first half, I can see Hull coming back into this one and try and take all three points but Isaac Price in my prediction would rescue us from out 8th successive away defeat to take our first point on the road since early October.